Dublin All Ireland winner John Small on how his father spurred his love of racing

This year has been another memorable one on the pitch for Dublin's John Small.

He's added another All Ireland medal to his collection which is already bulging after a trophy filled career in the blue jersey.

Indeed, in his four years on the Dublin panel, he's never lost a senior Championship match.

But he's also got an avid interest in horse racing as he revealed at our Friday Night Racing live show at the Lep Inn ahead of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and the Curragh.

That love of racing comes from his father as he explained.

"The connection to racing is through my Dad. Growing up, he would have been involved in a good few syndicates and stuff and he would have had a few horses himself, both on the flats and the jumps," said Small.

"I would have been brought up and down the country to the various race tracks from the age of 10. Obviously Leopardstown, the Curragh, Wexford, Down Royal and these places. I loved it from a young age and I carried it on and that's how it came about."

He also touched about the roots of Dublin's success on the Gaelic football field under Jim Gavin and whether he pays any heed to the arguments from some of the Dubs' detractors in regard to perceived financial advantages in comparison to other counties.

"I don't see how money really affects it that much, with the effort and the time that us guys put in and how hard we work and how driven we are to represent Dublin, the guys before us and to leave that legacy," he said, adding, "I don't see how money is a big thing."

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